Field of the Invention
This invention relates to masts and more particularly to a pivoting mast device and method.
Background of the Invention
The height of sailboat masts has been a perennial problem for the sailing enthusiast, regardless of the size of the vessel. Even the owners of the smallest of sailboats which can easily be trailered may require more than one person to raise and lower the mast. The larger the vessel, the more difficult the task becomes with an increased probability of an accident which may result in equipment and/or personnel injury. After the vessel is rigged and underway, at times there is a need to lower the mast to proceed under a fixed bridge or the like.
The need has been well established for a dependable, easy to use apparatus for safely raising and lowering the mast on a sailboat. There have been many in the prior art who have attempted to solve these problems with varying degrees of success. None, however completely satisfies the requirements for a complete solution to the aforestated problem. The following U. S. Patents are attempts of the prior art to solve this problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,386 to Faden discloses a means for lowering the mast on a sailboat without requiring any adjustment or release of the shrouds, stays or sails. The invention comprises vertical support means pivotally secured at one end to the hull of the sailboat, the second end being pivotally secured to an intermediate position on a mast, the lower end of the mast being pivotally and slidably secured to the hull of the sailboat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,861 to Lewis discloses a sailboat hull including an upright mast having upper and lower end portions. First structure pivotally supports the lower end of the lower end portion of the mast from the hull for swinging between an upright position and a lowered position with the upper end of the lower end portion swung toward one end of the hull. Second structure pivotally supports the lower end of the upper end portion from the upper end of the lower end portion for swinging between an upright position and a lowered position with the upper end of the upper end portion swung toward the other end of the hull. Third structure is operatively connected between the upper and lower end portions of the mast and the hull operative for sequentially controllably lowering the lower end portion from its upright position to its lowered position while maintaining the upper end portion upright and thereafter controllably lowering the upper end portion from its upright position to its lowered position and for sequentially controllably raising the upper end portion from its lowered position to an upright position and thereafter controllably raising the lower end portion from its lowered position to its upright position while maintaining the upper end portion of the mast upright.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,917 to Frank discloses a foldable mast assembly for sailboats wherein a main mast is pivotably connected to a stub mast which is pivotally connected to a base secured to the sailboat deck. A removable pin extends between the stub mast and base whereby the main mast and stub mast may be folded to an inoperative position substantially parallel to the main deck and centered approximately lengthwise of the sailboat. The folding and raising of the main and stub masts are controlled by a cable received through sheaves carried on the main and stub masts, one end of the cable being connected to the fore deck near the bow of the sailboat and the other end connected to a power winch on the aft deck of the sailboat. In smaller sailboats, having small masts where cables and sheaves are not required, the folding and raising of the main and stub masts can be accomplished manually.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,154 to Leonard discloses a collapsible mast assembly for a sailboat including a mast support which is mounted on the boat deck for supporting the lower end of the mast. The support includes upstanding side walls and a lower rear wall to which the boom is attached. A mast plate is mounted within the mast support at the bottom thereof and is adapted to fit within the open lower end of the tubular mast. The mast is lowered by loosening its stays and then lifting the same until its bottom is above the level of the mast plate. At that point the mast can be tilted backward toward a horizontal position where it rests and pivots on the top of the rear wall as the bottom of the mast pivots upwardly through the open front of the mast support. In the horizontal position, the mast can be moved rearwardly or forwardly as desired. The boom is secured to the rear of the mast support so that movement of the mast is independent of the boom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,370 to Portell-Vila discloses a mast raising mechanism operating on a hinged mast and including an elongated base section that is removably attached to the lower mast section that is uprightly affixed in the boat. An elongated extender section is telescopically extended from the base section and is locked in place. A pulley is mounted at the top of the extender section. A line, attached to the mid region of the mast, passes over the top of the pulley and the end of the line is acted on by a crank which is on the base section. Due to the height of the base section plus extender section, and due to the angle of the line, a person can easily wind up the line and raise the mast.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,161 to Blackmer discloses an improved hoisting apparatus for a sailboard rig of the type which is attached to a sailboard with a universal connection. The improved hoisting apparatus comprises a hoist pole with a bottom end and a top end, an attachment connecting the bottom end of the hoist pole to the mast to provide pivotable and rotational movement of the hoist pole with respect to the mast. A halyard including first and second tension members extends from the top end of the hoist pole. The first tension member is connected to the boomhead, and the second tension member has a graspable end portion for exerting a force on the hoist pole to hoist the rig. Elastic cord members are connected to return the hoisting apparatus to a stowage position when the graspable end portion is released. A third tension member connects the bottom end of the hoist pole to the boomhead so as to transfer the axial force component on the hoist pole caused by hoisting forces to the boomhead, thereby requiring the bottom end attachment to sustain only transverse force components. In one embodiment, the first and second tension members are furnished by a single uphaul passing freely through a guide ring in the top end of the hoist pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,136 to Alexander discloses a system and method providing a portable sailboat mast hoisting crane which is safe, light weight, easily assembled, easily disassembled, and operable by one man. The crane can be locked down for security on the frame of the boat trailer for storage. The mounting mechanism is universally compatible with most pleasure craft sailboats, and does not require alternation or permanent modifications to the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,341,014 to Smith discloses a system for one person raising and lowering the mast of a sailboat wherein the mast is less than about forty feet in length and in the down position the mast is laid horizontally along a median line of the hull of a sailboat. The system includes rigging to raise the height of the mast from the hull and then to pivot the mast with the pivot being near the lowest point of the mast. Means is provided to pivot the mast about the lowest point of the mast until the mast is in a vertical position. The mast is then brought down into an upstanding vertical position with means to support the mast on the sailboat at the mast's lowest point and upwardly therefrom. The same rigging may be used to lower the mast to the horizontal. The operations occur by a winch located towards the rear of the sailboat to either pay out a line thereon when lowering the mast to the horizontal or conversely to take up the line when the mast is pivoted to the vertical.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,418,911 to McClintock discloses important design features and methods of launching a trailerable sailboat. The trailerable sailboat is designed to allow transportation on overland highways and to provide a simplified method of raising the mast without the need for a crane.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,356 to Knisely, et al. discloses a foldable mast assembly for a sailing vessel. The foldable mast assembly includes a lower mast section; an intermediate mast section having a lower end foldably coupled to an upper end of the lower mast section; an upper mast section having a lower end foldably coupled to an upper end of the intermediate mast section; and a boom coupled to the lower mast section. A locking device internal the mast assembly is also provided to inhibit folding of the mast assembly.
United States Patent Application 2011/0100278 to McClintock discloses an improvement in mast raising for a sailboat where a pivoting mast is raised or lowered rapidly by use of a pair of shroud struts, that are an integral part of the sailing rigging, all of which is done in a very stabilized manner.
United States Patent Application 2013/0319311 to Balfour discloses improvements to masts and in particular a mast apparatus for raising and/or lowering a mast on a vessel such as a vessel, and a vessel incorporating such a mast apparatus. In one example embodiment, the mast apparatus for raising and/or lowering the mast on a vessel comprises a mast; a mast housing; a pivot for the mast fixedly connected to the mast housing; a lateral movement control mechanism for enabling controllable lateral movement of the mast with respect to the pivot and the mast housing; a lateral movement control mechanism such as hydraulic ram connected to the mast and connected to the mast housing, or connected to the mast and connectable to a vessel, for driving the mast to rotate about the pivot and move laterally under the control of the lateral movement control mechanism so as to raise or lower the mast and move the mast laterally in a controlled manner.
Although the aforementioned prior art have contributed to the development of the art of raising and lowering a sailboat mast, none of these prior art patents have solved the needs of this art.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for raising and lowering the mast of a sailboat.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for raising and lowering the mast of a sailboat which is easy to use.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for raising and lowering the mast of a sailboat that can be retrofitted to existing sailboats.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for raising and lowering the mast of a sailboat that is easy to cost effectively produce.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention, the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.